


Acqua e Cielo (Water and Sky)

by momentarycarbonstory



Category: Aria
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Multi, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-01-13 10:03:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1222171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momentarycarbonstory/pseuds/momentarycarbonstory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of vignettes about Akari and Akatsuki, and the relationship they share. Ranges from friendly to silly to an alarming shade of pink fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Uno

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Kozue Amano wrote Aria and Aqua, and therefore owns every character and scene in these chapters.

_**I. One Life, One Meeting** _

The very first time he met and talked to her there was no logical reason for it. He could have hired any other undine that day, but chose her because he couldn't stop thinking: how the hell does a girl grow her hair like that? So he paid her, listened to her talk and stared at her hair, figuring he'd never see a girl with "sideburns" that long again.

To be sure, the decision led to a lifetime of friendship, interesting situations and much happiness.

...But really, it had made absolutely _no sense_.

_**II. Happy** _

When anyone is with Akari, happiness isn't just happiness anymore. The definition of the word is removed from the dictionary and thrown it out, rewritten to define smorgasbord of other things with herself included. And because she seemed to define an almost non-human sort of joy, Akatsuki despised her and treasured her for it, even when they were just friends.

_**III. Salamander** _

He's the strong, talented Akatsuki-san, Salamander of Ukijima. That people think he's full of hot air for his boasting is irrelevant; he has an important job and he knows it. After maintaining the weather for a full day he usually thought about how Alicia might be smiling because of the steady temperature and the lovely breezes that follow. But lately, all he can think about is Momiko and that stupid smile she wears no matter what type of weather there is. It gets to be that every day he goes to work he thinks of her first, and how she's probably happy even when he screws up the atmosphere with the occasional mistake.

_**IV. Names** _

To her friends, she was "Akari-chan" or "Akari".

To others, she was simply "Undine-san".

Later she would be known as "Aquamarine-san", or "Aquamarine-sama", much to Akatsuki's amusement.

To her trainee and other young undines she was "Akari-senpai."

And to Akatsuki and Akatsuki only, she was most always "Momiko." She often insisted she was not, but never once got angry at him and tell him to stop. For this he felt a certain distinction from the rest.

After all, she was _his_ Momiko.

_**V. Non-Perishable** _

She's shorter than him, smaller than him and quite slender, almost like a porcelain doll ready to break. Nevermind that she knows how to row far better than him, and that it takes a quick mind as well as strength to be an undine. Every time he sees her out on the water alone it puts him on edge, so he watches her carefully for any sign of struggle, his stomach knotting whenever she crosses the channels.

One day on the open water of the harbor a large ferry takes a wrong turn and heads straight for her. With a single flick of the wrist, she carries her boat to safety in a flurry of flowing hair and determined eyes, and doesn't even flinch. As he watches the whole thing happen from the shore, gelato in-hand quite forgotten and mouth gaping, he's never been happier to be proven wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dragging this over from my ff.net account to test the waters (and see how many people over here like Aria) and also reminiscing. I'd had a ridiculously wonderful time writing them back when this was still on the roll, and I'm enjoying the challenge of rewriting and editing these. Maybe one of these days I'll take up some more writing in this small and very lovely fandom. 
> 
> Format might be a little strange because there are over 100 tiny vignettes, so I had to split them up into reasonably-sized chapters for reading ease.
> 
> P.S. I you have not read the manga "Aqua", you should. It's very good, and some of the vignette material comes from/will be coming from it.
> 
> I hope you enjoy these!


	2. Due

_**VI. Magnet** _

After spending so much time with her, Akatsuki begins to think that the happy moments in Akari's life don’t wait for her so much as gravitate toward her. Maybe he’s lucky to be included in her magnetism, if only to see glimpses of the world with the same bold joy she does.

_**VII. Relaxation** _

It is a little known fact that Akatsuki rarely has time to relax. Most always he’s on Ukijima working, and on his days off he walks around the city without stopping, almost afraid to be excluded from bustle of humanity.

On a particularly impatient day for him, he makes the mistake of asking Akari for a ride without mentioning a destination. Any habitual complaining for aimless wandering and lack of speed fades into silence, ears perked as she indicates the beautiful things he’s never noticed in well-known places. Soon he has only to follow where her fingers point to see a new side of the city unfold before him.

As a special part of the tour, she takes him to a little corner of a residential district easily gotten to on foot, but away from the public eye. She parks her gondola beneath one of the blossoming trees and they sit in perfect silence, the atmosphere unrestrained and void of tension. For the first time in a while, the Salamander is perfectly alright with the stillness and the quiet.

No matter how many times he's tries, he can’t get back to the same place unless Akari takes him there.

_**VIII. Lovely** _

It was a universal law that undines were flawless. Salamanders had inexhaustible enthusiasm, gnomes had intellect, sylphs had speed, but undines had grace. Each one was the embodiment of grace in voice, dress, movement and behavior.

Even undines like Akari.

It signifies nothing that he should notice, but he tells himself that it wouldn’t hurt to observe, if only to prove this wrong. After all she was Momiko, and Momiko wasn’t graceful. She was just…herself.

It took only the sight of her waving at him from the canal before he clenched his teeth and hammered all traitorous thoughts down.

_**IX. Canzone** _

He’s never heard her sing. Neither Aika nor Alice have heard her sing more than twice, and they spend the most time with her. So when he casually asks her one day to do canzone for him and she agrees, he puts his teasing on hold.

They tour Neo-Venezia and she gives her usual pieces of information, rowing gently through the warm afternoon. He almost thinks she isn’t up to it, but right as they reach the harbor, she sings a simple but very haunting melody, and people don’t stop turning their heads until she disappears into a small channel. She's no Athena-san, but she is what she is, and that is: amazing.

When she finishes he can't do much except stare along with Aria-sachou. She almost misinterprets his silence for distaste until he says:

"...See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Single: An undine at the intermediate level who wears a single glove. This is just above a Pair, a beginner undine who wears 2 gloves, and just below a Prima, who wears no gloves and is allowed to take on customers.
> 
> Canzone: Literally means "song" in Italian. In the story of "Aria", an undine must be proficient in etiquette, rowing, and canzone to become a good Prima.


	3. Tre

**_X. Cold_ **

He’s never thought winter as particularly special. Seasons were clockwork and deadlines, a series of gradual fluctuations in pressure and temperature, and the steady fade of color in the world below Ukijima. Were he to take to the ground, the only distinguishing characteristics of the season were that it snowed, he froze, end of story.

Akari on the other hand absolutely loved it. The unpredictable wind, the quiet nesting over the city, the food, even his drawling explanation of how to create snow clouds.

"Hawawawa....”

"Cold?"

She rubbed her arms, giving a shiver. “A little.”

"You Undines are more one with the water than the air, I see. The great Salamander Akatsuki never freezes!"

"That’s wonderful, Akatsuki," she said, teeth chattering, “but we should find a place to—ah?" Her shoulders shrugged upwards, something landing over her eyes. "Akatsuki-san, this is your coat."

"That it is.”

"You'll be a block of ice before we get to the square!"

"Salamanders are masters of the weather. We do not freeze. Keep it on until we find somewhere to warm up."

Her face lit up, shy and bright. The corners of his mouth twitched upward before he could hide it with his scarf, and her happiness grew bolder.

“Just wear it, Momiko,” he huffed, exasperation flimsy as she fell into step beside him with a hop.

**_XI. Rowing_ **

It all started when everyone gathered together for lunch one fine spring day. Everyone gave a short explanation of their current work state, which led to talk of how much their jobs intermixed. This coupled with how Aika thought Al rowed quite for someone who spent most of his time underground, and the conversation inevitably turned to gondolas.

The casual question of whether Akatsuki could row came up. And after five minutes of being unable to dodge the obvious answer and a few more minutes of practicalities — “you should learn to row, Akatsuki-kun, it may help if you’re stranded here” — it was decided Akari would teach him.

For the rest of the conversation and the first hour of wobbling on a boat near Aria Company, he thought it was a complete waste of time; a Salamander didn’t need to know anything about water besides how to make it fall and what it could be used for. Boats were for Undines and their fearless approach to vast bodies of water. But no matter how many times he fell off, Akari cheered him on, telling him little stories of her first time on a gondola. By the end of the day he’s managed to stay on the boat, unsteady though he is. They both sit side by side, no shoes, covered in dried salt of the sea, and the resplendent smile she wears as she congratulates him is something remembers on the rare occasion he has to hold an oar.

**_XII. Appearance_ **

Akari wears the same thing every day, and trust her to make the best of the requirement that Undines maintain a crisp and dainty appearance at all times. Akatsuki, on the other hand, feels little need to pay little attention to his own. With so much time spent around machinery there’s very little need to vary what he wears, save for the addition or cancellation of an article when the weather turns.

So, when summer comes and he's walking around without his baggy coat, arms and fitted green shirt exposed, he doesn’t understand why Akari’s attentiveness is so rapt one minute, then dazed the next.

After ten minutes of confusion he figures it _must_ the heat, suggests gelato, and she acquiesces without argument.

Years later when he rethinks the situation, the only answer he comes up with is that he’s an idiot.

**_XIII. Envy is a Ponytail_ **

"What's with the sour face?"

He didn’t have to turn around; he’d know Aika’s voice anywhere. "None of your business, Gachapen.”

"Oho~, touchy.” She draped a congenial hand over his shoulder as he scowled out at the waterway. “You know, I hear Aria Company’s become more popular with your Salamander friends.”

His face fell heavy with a scowl. “Of course it has. I’ve told them about Aria Company for years.”

“Other companies are noticing Salamanders go there the most.”

“She’s carrying Alicia-san’s legacy. It’s only natural.”

“They ask _specifically_ for Akari.”

“She’s the only Prima there and it’s good business! She told me so herself!”

“Oh? How nice of you! You don’t look too happy about it though.”

He crossed his arms imperiously. “I _am_ happy about it! Why wouldn’t I be happy about it?!”  

She ignored his reaction completely in exchange for examining her nails. “I hear…that there are specific Salamanders that pay Akari lots of compliments. She’s even receiving flowers and notes now. Just like Alicia-san used to~. Did you know?”

“It’s not unususal,” he retorted, fists clenching unconsciously in his sleeves. “Undines get compliments all the time! If they want to pay her compliments it’s their business!”

Her squint could not have been louder.

“…It’s not _like that_!” he retorted, cheeks growing hot.  

But before Akatsuki could effectively tell her to get lost, her expression shifted completely as she jabbed a finger over his shoulder. "Oh! Is that Akari?! Who is Salamander giving her flowers?!"

" **WHAT?** "

He found only an empty waterway, and his face went from heated to scorching.

"I think I've proven my point, Pony-Oni."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire work is technically finished and sits on FF.net in all it's outdated glory. It has been YEARS since I actually took a good look at these wowowow, they need a lot of repairs.
> 
> This was the first multi-chapter fic I ever wrote. It was also the first experimental fic I wrote in that its readers actively participated in its development. Around chapter 8 I'd run out of pre-planned vignette ideas, so I had readers suggest words that I could use as a writing launch point. Not only did this teach me to improvise, but it allowed me a very organic relationship with my readers. I have a lot of good memories associated with this fic. It's nice little time capsule to come back to~.


End file.
